Apparatus for pressing ends into cylindrical shells



Jan. 25% 1949.

D. C. MORGAN, JR

Filed Aug. 20, 1945 3 sheets-'sheet 1 JC' m -v ATTORNEYS Jam 25, 1949'D. c. MORGAN, JR 2,459,954

fA.:":ER:['US OR pRsslNGfENDS INTO CYLINDRICAL SHELLS Filed Aug. 20,1945 3 Sheets-Sheetl 2 JC :IT

A ,g' ATTORNEYS `Ian. 25, 1949. D. c. MORGAN, 'JR 2,459,954

APPARATUS Fonl PREssmG Enns INT0 C'YLINDRICAL sHELLs Filed Aug. 2o, 19453 sheds-sheet s wlTNEssEs: i I A LO( @Wn BY z-wt'/vff' I v l 0 ATTORNEYSlNvENToRA Patented Jan. 25, 1949 APPARATUS Fon rREssTNG ENDS INT0CYLINDRICAL SHELLS Dwight C. Morgan, Scaife Company, of PennsylvaniaApplication August 20, 1945,

1e Claims. (o1. ca -235) This invention relates to a method andapparatus for pressing end members into the ends of cylindrical shells,and more particularly to the tting of heads and bottoms in range boilershells.

Objects of the invention are to provide such a above the front pair ofbearings method and apparatus for easily and quickly producing thedesired assembly of parts with a minimum of manual labor. U i

In accordance with this invention one end of an open end cylindricalshell is compressed slightly to make it oval and thereby increase itsdiameter in one direction. A circular member or head that is to befitted in the end of the shell is tilted so that it readily can beinserted in the oval end, preferably by telescoping the shell over thehead. The pressure then is released from the oval end of the shell andthe head is swung into a plane perpendicular to the axis of the shell,thereby pressing its-periphery against the inner surface of the shell.The head preferably is supported in tilted position by arms, both ofwhich canbe retracted, one a greaterdistance than the other, tostraighten the head in the shell. The shell may be telescoped overthetilted vhead by the means f by which a bottom member is pushed intothe shell. plunger which moves it against the adjacent end of the shellto push the shell forward over the tilted head until the shell isstopped by an abutment. Continued advance of the plunger forces thebottom into the adjoining end of the stationary shell where it is heldby frictional engagement with the shell wall. 1 l Y The preferredembodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawingsin which Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section, show.

ing the deformed end of ythe shell readywto be pushed over the tiltedhead; Fig. 2 is a similar side view but showing the head and bottom inserted in the shell; and Fig. 3 vls' a vertical section taken on theline III- III of Fig. 1. A

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3v of the drawings, mountedon a tablev I aretwoA rows of bearings 2 for supporting` a cylindrical-shell 3, such as arange boiler shell, open at both ends. The front legs 4 of the tableextend aboveit and support a rearwardly extendingframe 6 on'whichavertical fluid pressure cylinder 1 isrigidly mounted. The piston rodl)v from this cylinder extends down through a hole in the lframe andsupports a bifurcated bracket 9 in'which a concave roller I I isjournaled. The bracket vhas laterally exten-ding lugs l2 that project?into vertical slots I3 inA parallel verticalguid'e' memberslll dependingfrom the bottom o fthefraxne. 'The roller is disposed Jr., Oakniont,Pa., assignor to Oakmont, Pa.,

a corporation serial No. 611,536

2, midway between them. When boiler shell 3 is placed on the bearingsits front end is positioned directly below the roller, which at thattime is elevated. This position of the shell is assured because theusual spud hole near the bottom of the shell is tted over aspring-pressed pin I6 projecting up through a longitudinal slot II inthe table. This pin is mounted in a block I8 that is slidable lengthwiseof the table in a guide member I9 connected to the bottom of the table.The Pin also insures that the spud hole will be in the correct positionrelative to the holes in thevhead that subsequently is mounted in theshell.

Between front bearings 2 and the `front end of the 'table the latter isprovided.A with a longi- 'I'hus, the bottom may be mounted on a tudinalslot through which a lever ZI extends. The central portion of this leveris pivotally mounted in bearing brackets 22 secured on the table.Fitting over the upper end of this lever to which it is pivotallyconnected is a slotted horizontal arm 23 having a hook at its inner endand a handle 24 atits outer end. The opposite sides ofthis arm also areprovided with verticalslots 2S that fit over a pin 21 extending throughthe upper end of a short lever 28. The lower end. of this lever ispivotally mounted in a bracket 29 on the table. A second bifurcated arm3 I, below and parallel to the one just described, is also pivotallyconnected to the opposite sides of the long lever. The inner end of thisarm is provided with .a hook while its outer end has vertical slots 32tting over a pin 33 extending through the short lever. A flexible line39, connected at its opposite ends to the two arms at points between thetwo levers, extends around a sheave 34 journaled in lbrackets 35 mountedon the table, Av coil spring 36 isconnected to the handle end of thelupper arm and to the short lever 28 below it.

With this arrangement of arms and links, when'handle 24 of the upperVarrnis raised, it causes line 3D to pull down on the outer end of thelower arm, thereby ksimultaneously moving the hooks on the inner ends ofthe arms vertically toward each other.-4 Also, the two leversv can beswung rearwardly to locate the hook on the upper arm behind the hook onthe lower arm. This is done by suitable means connected to the lower endof long lever 2I, such as by a piston rod 38 exten-ding from the leverback to a piston in a fluid pressure cylinder 39. This cylinder ispivotally supported by a pair of brackets 4I secured to the bottom ofthe table so that the. cylinder can rock up and 'down as the lower endof the long leverv moves in an arc. The hooks on the inner To preventthe head from tilting sideways, a bi.

furcated horizontal yoke to between arms 23 and 3| straddles levers 2|and 28 to which it is pivotally connected. The rear end of the yokeextends transversely of the table and is located close to head 42. Thisend of the yoke carries pair of laterally spaced threaded studs 45' thatcan be` adjusted to engage laterally spaced points on the head, therebypreventing the headfrom. tilting sideways.

Mounted on the rear end of the table is a horizontal uid pressurecylinder 43' the piston rod 53, connected M of which extends through abushing 'inf front of it. The front 'end of the rod carries a circularplunger M provided-with a central boss 48 adapted to project throughvthe center 'hole in a range boilers bottom member 49. Frictionalengagement of the boss with. bottom 49 holds the bottom on the plungerwith its peripheral iiange` engaging the front face of the plunger.

In using this apparatus the boiler head l2 is slipped over the hooks onthe inner ends of arms 23 and 3|, and is held in a forward position,such as the dotted line position of Fig-1. Before or after this, thebottom 49 is placed on the plunger 41 which is in its retracted positionshown in Fig. 1. Shell 3 then is rolled onto bearings 2 from a conveyoror skids (not shown) at one side of the table. and itis rotated untilpositioningpin I6 snaps up into `the Spud hole near the `rear or lowerend of the shell. This locates the front' or upper end of the shelldirectly under the depressing rollerl l. The operator operates asuitableY valve (not shown) to supply duid under pressure tothe top ofcylinder 1 so that the roller will press down on the shell and ovalizeits front end. thereby increasing its diameter horizontally.

Y head, said arm Fluid pressure then isadmitted to the rear end Yofcylinder 39 to move upper arm 23 rearwardly to tilt the head, as shownin Fig. 1, so as to reduce the vertical space occupied by the head toless than the vertical diameter of the front end of the shell. Followingthis, iiuid pressure is admitted to the rear end of cylinder 43- at theback of the table so that plunger 411 will move forward and press bottom49 against the adjacent end of the shell to push the shell forward onbearings 2 until its compressed front end reaches the dotted lineposition and strikes against concave abutment 5|' mountedfon the tablebetween the front bearings 2 and the long lever 2|. In moving forward,the front end of the shell telescopes freely over the tilted head thelowest point. of which is spaced a short distance above Vabutment 5|.Con- Y tinued forward movement of the plunger forces the. bottom intothe end of the now stationary shell, as indicated in dotted lines inFig. 1 and as showninfull lines in Fig. 2.

Cylinder 'i then is reversed to. raise the depressing roller I'l so thatthe front end of the shell will spring back to vits original circularshape. The tilted head 42, whichV now isy inside the shell, is swung upinto the upright position shown in Fig. 2 when the lower end of longlever 2| is swung rearwardly by supplying fluid under pressure to thefront end of cylinder 39. This lever retracts or moves forward arms 23.Iand 3l, but, -due to the upper arm. being farthest from upper armfisrelower one. This the fulcrumv ofthe lever, the tracted more rapidlythan the one end of. the

pivots the head about the point at its bottom where it contacts theshell, and pulls the head back against a stop member 52, therebystraightening it in the end o1 the shell and causingr its peripheralflange to tightly engage the inner surfaceof the shell. Yoke studs .45hold the head againstlateral tilting while it is being pulled intoposition in the shell. Following this, cylinder 43 is reversed to pullplunger 4l away from bottom 4S and then handle 24 is lifted to releasethe .hooks from the head. This allows a spring to pin IB, to pull theshell back to itsA original position with pin l5 at the rear end of itsguide: member I9. The shell, with the bottom and head tightly tted inits opposite ends, now is ready to beremoved laterally from the table inpreparation for the next operation, which usually is the welding of thebottom and head in the shell.

It will be seen that with this apparatus one operator, with littleeffort, can quickly press the head and` bottom into a range boilershell,` and that the parts will be properly assembled for subsequentweldingV Y Y v v According to the provisions of the Vpatent statutes, Ihave explained the principle and construction of my invention and haveillustrated and described what I now consider to represent its bestembodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within thescope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwisethan as .specically illustrated and described. I

1, Apparatus for fitting a circular head tightly in one end of acylindrical shell, comprising means for compressing saidY end oitheshell slightly to make it oval, an arm extending length wise of theshell beyond said end, said arm having a fron-t end adapted to beconnected to said head, anotherV member adapted to engage sai-dbeingmovable forward relative to said member to support -said head in tiltedVposition adjacent` said ovalv end of theshell, ymeans for effectingrelative movement yoit-the head'and shell toward each other tofinsertthe head Yin said oval end, and means for reti-acting said arm forstraightening the position. of the head in the shellV after saidcompressing'meansha-s been released from thershell. Y

2.. Apparatus for tting a circular head tightly in one end of acylindrical shell, 'comprising means for compressing 'said -end of theshell slightly to make. it` oval, spacedY arms extending lengthwise ofthe shell beyond said end, said arms having4 front ends adapted to`engage the head to support said `head in tilted position adjacent saidoval end ofthe shell, meansv for moving the shell axially toward thearms` toI telescope said oval end over the tilted hea-d,.means forreleasing saidcompressing means, and means for moving said armslengthwise relative .to eachother in a direction to pull the Vtiltedhead. intoI a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of theshell.

3. Apparatus for tting a circular head. and bottom tightly intheoppositeends of a cylindrical shell, comprising means for supporting theshell, means for Vholding the. bottom adjacent shell, means for holdingthe head tilted adjacent means for compressingthe head kend of the shellslightly to make itA oval, means'for pushing the bottom against theshell to telescopesaid oval. end over the tilted head. means for`stopping the axial movement of the shellso that the bottom the oppositeend of the she1l,

' 5 will be Ipushed intoit, means'for releasing said compressing means,means for pulling the -head into straightened positionin the shell, and`means for retracting said bottom-pushing means.

4. Apparatus vfor fittinga circulark head tightly in one end of -avcylindrical shell, comprising means for supporting the shell 'on itsside, means above one end of the shell for pressing down on it to makethe end oval, means 'adjacent said pressing means for holding vaheadtilted in line with the shell, means for moving the shell axiallyVtoward said head-holding means to telescope said oval end over the head,and means for pulling the tilted head back into upright position aftersaid pressing means has been released from the shell.

5. Apparatus for fitting a circular head tightly in one end of acylindrical shell, comprising means for supporting the shell on itsside, means above one end of the shell for pressing down on it to makethe end oval, means adjacent said pressing means for receiving a head inline with the shell, means for moving said head-receiving meanslengthwise of the shell to tilt the head, means for moving the shellaxially toward said head-receiving means to telescope said oval end overthe head, means for releasing said pressing means, and means for pullingthe tilted head back into upright position.

6. Apparatus for iitting a circular head tightly in one end of acylindrical shell, comprising means for supporting the shell on itsside, means above one end of the shell for pressing down on it to makethe end oval, means adjacent said pressing means for supporting a headand being movable to tilt shell axially toward said head-receiving meansto telescope said oval end over the head, means for releasing saidpressing means, and fluid pressure means for retracting saidhead-receiving means to pull the tilted head back into upright position.

7. Apparatus for fitting a circular head tightly in one end of acylindrical shell, comprising means for supporting the shell on itsside, means above one end of the shell for pressing down on it to makethe end oval, a pair of vertically spaced arms adjacent said pressingmeans and having ends adapted to support a head in line with the shell,one of said arms being movable forward relative to the other to tilt ahead supported thereby, means for moving the shell axially toward saidarms to telescope said oval end over the tilted head, and means forretracting said one arm relative to the other one to pull the head backinto upright position after said pressing means has been released fromthe shell.

8. Apparatus for fitting a circular head tightly in one end of acylindrical shell, comprising means for supporting the shell on itsside, means above one end of the shell for pressing down on it to makethe end oval, a pairV of vertically spaced arms adjacent said pressingmeans and having ends adapted to support a head in line with the shell,one of said arms being movable forward relative to the other to tilt ahead supported thereby, means for moving the shell axially towardsaidarms to telescope said oval end over the tilted head, a pivotallymounted lever pivoted to said arms, and means for swinging the lever toretract said one arm relative to the other one to pull the head backinto upright position after said pressing means has been released fromthe shell.

9. Apparatus for tting a circular head tightly the head, means formoving the in 'one end of a l cylindrical' shell,v comprising means forsupporting thefshell on its side; "means above yone end of the shell forpressing down on it to make the end oval, a pairv of vertically spacedarms adjacent said pressing-v means and `having endsadapted to support ahead in line with the shell,A one of said varms'being movable forwardrelative tothe other 'to tilt a head supported thereby, means for movingthe shell axially tof Ward said arms to vtelescope -said oval end overthejtilted head,- a support, a lever pivoted to said supportandlprojecting aboveand below it, the upper partof the lever beingpivotally connected to said arms, and fluid pressure actuated Vmeansconnected to the lower endo the lever for swinging it to retract saidone arm relative to the other one to pull the head back into uprightposition after said pressing means has been released from the shell.

10. Apparatus for fitting a circular head tightly. in one end of acylindrical shell, comprising means for supporting the shell on itsside, means above one end of the shell for pressing down on it to makethe end oval, a pair of vertically spaced arms adjacent said pressingmeans and having hook ends adapted to support a head in line with theshell, means pivotally supporting said arms for manual movement of theirhook ends toward each other, one of said arms being movable forwardrelative to the other to tilt a head supported thereby, means for movingthe shell axially toward said arms to telescope said oval end over thetilted head, and means for retracting said one arm relative to the otherone to pull the head back into upright position after said pressingmeans has been released from the shell.

1l. Apparatus for fitting a circular head and bottom tightly in theopposite ends of a cylindrical shell, comprising means for supportingthe shell on its side, means for holding the bottom adjacent one end ofthe shell, means for holding the head tilted adjacent the opposite endof the shell, means for compressing the head end of the shell slightlyto make it oval, fluid pressure actuated means for moving saidbottom-holding means toward the shell to push said bottom against theshell and thereby telescope said oval end over the tilted head, meansfor stopping the axial movement of the shell so that the bo-ttom will bepushed into it, means for pulling the head into upright position in theshell after said compressing means has been released, and means forreversing said fluid actuated means to retract said bottom-holdingmeans.

l2. Apparatus for fitting a circular head tightly in one end of acylindrical shell, comprising means for supporting the shell on itsside, means above one end of the shell for pressing down on it to makethe end oval, a pair of vertically spaced arms adjacent said pressingmeans and having ends adapted to support a head in line with the shell,one of said arms being movable forward relative to the other to tilt ahead supported thereby, means for moving the shell axially toward saidarms to telescope said oval end over the tilted head, means forretracting said one arm relative to the other one to pull the head backinto upright position after said pressing means has been released fromthe shell, and means engaging the head to hold it against tiltingsideways as it is pulled into upright position in the shell.

13. Apparatus for fitting a circular head tightly in one end of acylindrical shell, comprising means for supporting the shell on its sidemeans ausgew aha-'wea one; end of the: shell; iur4 lamssingl*v dawn on.it has make the; end' oval; a.A pair oi vertically spacedarms: adjacentsaid press-ing, means. andhaving ends: adapted; to snppfmt.4 a head: inline with the shell;l one of said arms being movable forward xtelatmte:the other tof eilt a head. supported t:l1exfek:r:y',.,l mea-ns formoving the shellA axially towadrsa'id armsfftoteleseospe saidovaL endoverr the 11i-ite@v head, ai pivotally mountedy leverv pivofed. to.sa-id. arms, means for swingingthe. lever tok re.- tract, said. one,arm relative to, the'4 other one to.. pull the head backV into uprightpositionv after said messingy meanshas been. released from. the shell,andr means connected; tel said level:` between 8 said.- arms. forengg'ilge the; head.V at laterallyl spaced! points tnV keep itv fromtilting. sideways while it is being;- pulled -ntoiupright position; theshell..

DWIGHT C`..MORGAN, J n;

REFERENCES CITED foliowng referenees are: of record in the le of this.patent:

n STA'IES PATENTS- Numbe:` Name. Y Date 1,580,105 Allie Apr. 13,1925

